Have you ever wondered if you’re someone in your life is using you as narcissistic supply? If so, you’re not alone. During a support group, a member of Unfilteredd’s Institute of Healing from Narcissistic Abuse asked the following: “How can I tell if I am narcissistic supply?”  It’s a great question, so I searched for answers and came up with these seven signs that indicate you are being used as narcissistic supply: Your needs and feelings are ignored or invalidated.  You’re constantly trying to earn their approval.  The relationship feels like an emotional rollercoaster.  ..read more

Have you ever questioned whether the narcissist in your life knows they’re not telling the truth or if they believe their own stories? If so, many others are too. We held a support group recently, and a few of the members wanted to know whether or not narcissists know they’re lying. I got curious, so I did some research, and here’s what I learned. As a general rule, a narcissist knows they’re lying when they: Change their story based on who they’re talking to.  Get defensive when they get questioned.  Use overly detailed explanations.  Blame others to divert attention away from ..read more

Do you want to learn how to spot a narcissist enabler? If so, you’re not alone. A member of our community recently asked, “How do you spot a narcissist enabler?” I did some digging, and here’s what I came up with. Six common signs of a narcissist enabler include: Consistently defending the narcissist’s behavior. Minimizing or denying the abuse. Shifting blame away from the narcissist. Discouraging your independence or desire for support. Pressuring you to comply with the narcissist’s demands. Using guilt to keep you in line. In this post, I will explain each of these signs to help you s ..read more

Have you ever wondered if the people who seem to be sitting on the fence between you and the narcissist are actually adding to the problem? If so, you’re not alone. A member of our community recently asked, “Are narcissist enablers toxic?” I did some digging, and here’s what I was able to put together. A toxic person is anyone whose behavior adds negativity to your life.1 Narcissist enablers are toxic because they: Encourage the narcissist’s abusive behavior Disrupt your healing process. Help the narcissist isolate you. Invalidate your experience of narcissistic abuse. In this post, I w ..read more

I was scrolling through our community forum and found this question: “Why do narcissists make false promises?” It got me thinking, and here’s what I’ve come up with. Narcissists make false promises to maintain control and keep you engaged, boost their ego, keep you in a state of hope and dependence, avoid being held accountable for their actions, create a favorable public image, and cause confusion and undermine your confidence. In this article, I will unpack all of these reasons to help you understand why narcissists make false promises. 1.) To Maintain Control and Keep You Engaged ..read more

Our community had this question: “Why do narcissists put you down?” I searched for answers. Here’s what I came up with. As a general rule, narcissists put you down to maintain power and control over you, validate their grandiose sense of self-importance, project their shortcomings onto you, keep you at a distance, and isolate you from your support network. In this article, I will guide you through these so that you can grasp a better understanding of the reasons narcissists put people down. 1.) To Maintain Control and Power Over You To feel emotionally stable, narcissists need to mai ..read more

We received a great question from the community: “What should I expect after I leave the narcissist in my life?” I dove into the research. Here’s what I learned. When you leave a narcissist, be prepared for hoovering attempts to reel you back into the relationship, smear campaigns designed to damage your reputation, the involvement of flying monkeys, emotional blackmail, cold withdrawal and indifference from the narcissist, and unexpected legal or financial entanglements.  In this article, I will walk you through each of these possibilities to help you prepare for life after lea ..read more

A community member submitted this question: “Why does narcissistic abuse cause panic attacks?” I’ve looked into it thoroughly. Here’s what I came up with. The reason narcissistic abuse can cause panic attacks is because it puts you in a constant state of hyper-vigilance, causes anxiety and traumatic conditioning, erodes your identity and independence, and causes you to develop an overwhelming fear of consequences.  In this article, I’ll guide you through each of these to help you understand the reason narcissistic abuse can cause panic attacks. 1.) You’re In a Constant State of ..read more

We got this question from our community: “What do narcissistic mothers do to their daughters?” I looked into it. Here’s what I learned. 6 Things Narcissistic Mothers Do to Their Daughters They erode their self-worth and identity. They cause them to develop severe trust issues. They cause perfectionism and a fear of failure. They cause emotional dysregulation. They make them feel responsible for others’ emotions. They compromise their ability to set boundaries. In this article, I’ll guide you through each of these to help you understand the detrimental effect narcissistic mothers ha ..read more

A community member submitted this question, “Is narcissistic rage dangerous?” I’ve looked into it thoroughly. Here’s what I came up with. Narcissistic rage is dangerous because it can escalate to physical violence, cause psychological harm, lead to social and professional repercussions, make you dependent on the narcissist, cause legal and financial problems, and lead to the destruction of personal property. In this article, I’ll explain each of these possible outcomes to help you understand what makes narcissistic rage so dangerous. 1.) It Can Escalate to Physical Violence Narcissis ..read more